Hezbollah Leader Condemns Israel-Lebanon Framework Deal, Urges Trump Understanding to Be Applied

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem issued an angry response on Saturday night to the framework agreement signed by Israel and Lebanon, a deal presented as a step toward a future peace accord after decades of conflict and hostility. The agreement was described as public and, according to the article, as the first to undermine the idea of “resistance” promoted by Islamist factions.

Qassem said Hezbollah would not leave the battlefield, even in the most difficult circumstances, and would continue acting as a resistance force on the ground in order to expel Israel. He said continued activity was necessary because “this is the redemption.”

He appealed to Lebanon’s leadership to reverse what he called a major mistake that is destroying Lebanon, adding that it would be a “virtue” to be recorded alongside “the sins.” At the same time, he said Hezbollah was ready to cooperate for the sake of state sovereignty. He said such cooperation would be aimed at liberating land, expelling Israel, returning prisoners, bringing residents back to their homes, rebuilding the country, and reaching mutual understandings on a national security strategy.

Qassem also lashed out at the framework agreement signed in Washington, calling it a “humiliating and disgraceful agreement” that amounts to a surrender of sovereignty. He said it has no right to exist and argued that instead the clauses of a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States should be implemented. He concluded that Hezbollah would continue using all necessary means, including international and Arab pressure, to force Israel to withdraw from Lebanon and to make it comply with the first clause of that memorandum.